Dark Stone Tile Shower in Mid-Wilshire

A shower renovation in a Mid-Wilshire single-family home, using dark grey stone-look porcelain on three walls and a penny round mosaic on the floor. The homeowner wanted a moody, spa-like feel that was different from the white-and-grey palette common in the neighborhood.

Dark tile on shower walls requires a grey or dark-toned thinset rather than white — white thinset can bleed through the grout joints on dark tile and create a visible haze at the joints that is difficult to remove. We used a medium grey thinset throughout and grouted with a dark charcoal to match the tile body. The penny round mosaic floor was set with the same grey thinset and grouted with a slightly lighter charcoal to allow the individual penny shapes to read without disappearing into the field.